Career clusters refer to a systematic framework under which different occupations are placed under broad categories. Each category contains jobs in the same field of work that require similar skills. This system aims to help students, parents, educators, and professionals in career transition to better focus their education and career development plans so as to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, competences and training for a future career in that particular field.

Under the model created by the Department of Education, there are 16 career clusters as shown below.

Given the broad nature of these categories, one must still keep in mind the wide diversity of careers within each category. For example, under Education & Training, possible career options would include teaching and administrative support work, which are totally different in job scope and required skills. Similarly, a career in Government & Public Administration can include a career related to national security or an accountancy career in a tax or finance department. These career clusters are simply meant to display an easy grouping of related careers.

Nonetheless, with this framework, not only can students and professionals develop a better understanding of how to go about acquiring the necessary education or skills to achieve the career that they want, schools, academies and other learning institutions and communities can also plan their curricula and programs more effectively to suit the precise needs of the modern labor market.